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| Question 145383:  Could someone tell me if I got these problems right? The first two are the Substitution Method, and the second two are using the Elimination Method.
 1)  x + y = 15
 4x + 3y = 38
 2)-3x + y = -4
 x - y = 0
 
 The Elimination Method:
 1)  5x - y = 12
 3x + y = 4
 
 2)  2x - y = -6
 2x - 2y = -4
 Thank you in advance. Elle J
 Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Well it's hard to tell what you got if you don't post your solutions =) 
 
 I'll do one of each to help you in the right direction.
 
 
 
 # 1
 Jump to problem #3
 
 Start with the given system of equations:
 
 
   
 
 
 Now in order to solve this system by using substitution, we need to solve (or isolate) one variable. I'm going to solve for y.
 
 
 
 
 So let's isolate y in the first equation
 
 
  Start with the first equation 
 
 
  Subtract  from both sides 
 
 
  Rearrange the equation 
 
 
  Divide both sides by   
 
 
  Break up the fraction 
 
 
  Reduce 
 
 
 ---------------------
 
 Since
  , we can now replace each  in the second equation with  to solve for   
 
 
 
  Plug in  into the first equation. In other words, replace each  with  . Notice we've eliminated the  variables. So we now have a simple equation with one unknown. 
 
 
 
  Distribute  to   
 
 
  Multiply 
 
 
  Combine like terms on the left side 
 
 
  Subtract 45 from both sides 
 
 
  Combine like terms on the right side 
 
 
 
 
 -----------------First Answer------------------------------
 
 
 So the first part of our answer is:
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Since we know that
  we can plug it into the equation  (remember we previously solved for  in the first equation). 
 
 
 
  Start with the equation where  was previously isolated. 
 
 
  Plug in   
 
 
  Multiply 
 
 
  Combine like terms 
 
 
 -----------------Second Answer------------------------------
 
 
 So the second part of our answer is:
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -----------------Summary------------------------------
 
 So our answers are:
 
 
  and   
 which form the point
 )  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 # 3
 Jump to problem #1
 
 
 
 
 
 Start with the given system of equations:
 
 
   
 
 
 Now in order to solve this system by using elimination/addition, we need to solve (or isolate) one variable. I'm going to solve for y.
 
 
 
 
 
 In order to solve for one variable, we must eliminate the other variable. So if we wanted to solve for
  , we would have to eliminate  (or vice versa). 
 
 So lets eliminate
  . In order to do that, we need to have both  coefficients that are equal in magnitude but have opposite signs (for instance 2 and -2 are equal in magnitude but have opposite signs). This way they will add to zero. By adding to zero, they can be eliminated. 
 
 
 So to make the
  coefficients equal in magnitude but opposite in sign, we need to multiply both  coefficients by some number to get them to an common number. So if we wanted to get  and  to some equal number, we could try to get them to the LCM. 
 
 
 Since the LCM of
  and  is  , we need to multiply both sides of the top equation by  and multiply both sides of the bottom equation by  like this: 
 
 
 
 
  Multiply the top equation (both sides) by  
  Multiply the bottom equation (both sides) by   
 
 
 
 Distribute and multiply
 
 
  
   
 
 Now add the equations together. In order to add 2 equations, group like terms and combine them
 
 
   
 Combine like terms and simplify
 
 
 
 
  Notice how the x terms cancel out 
 
 
 
 
  Simplify 
 
 
 
 
  Divide both sides by  to isolate y 
 
 
 
 
  Reduce 
 
 
 Now plug this answer into the top equation
  to solve for x 
 
  Start with the first equation 
 
 
 
  Plug in   
 
 
 
 
  Multiply 
 
 
 
  Subtract 2 from both sides 
 
 
  Combine like terms on the right side 
 
 
  Divide both sides by 5 to isolate x 
 
 
 
  Divide 
 
 
 
 So our answer is
 
  and   
 
 
 which also looks like
 )  
 
 
 
 Now let's graph the two equations (if you need help with graphing, check out this solver)
 
 
 From the graph, we can see that the two equations intersect at
 ) . This visually verifies our answer. 
 
 
 
 
  graph of  (red) and  (green)  and the intersection of the lines (blue circle). 
 
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